Week 7 Preview: Wesleyan at Williams

This Saturday, Nov. 5, the Wesleyan University football team eyes its 14th Little Three title – and first since 2013 – when the Cardinals square off against Williams College at the Weston Athletic Complex at 1 p.m. Wesleyan (5-1) is riding a five-game winning streak, while the Ephs (0-6) are still looking for their first win of 2016.

Williams leads the all-time series, 76-40-5, but it's been all Wesleyan as of late. The Cardinals have won three straight against their Little Three rival and won decisively in the last meeting a year ago, 27-7. Wesleyan outgained the Ephs 369 yards to 314, and recorded 23 first downs while holding Williams to 13.

Quarterbacks Mark Piccirillo '19 and Gernald Hawkins '18 gained 105 and 61 yards passing, respectively, and did not thrown an interception. Piccirillo also threw a touchdown pass to Eric Meyreles '18, who finished with a team-high 64 receiving yards on five catches. The rushing attack was led by Jaylen Berry '18 who rushed for 70 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown, while Hawkins and Lou Stevens '17 each rushed for a score as well. Defensively, Jordan Stone '17 and Jon Spivey '16 recorded a team-high eight tackles, as the unit recovered two fumbles and registered one interception.

For Williams, the offense was led by quarterback Austin Lommen and running back Noah Sorrento. Lommen went 19-of-28 for 150 yards (1 TD, 1 INT), while Sorrento finished with 105 yards rushing on 21 carries. Mark Pomella led the team in receiving with 66 yards on five catches, and James O'Grady led the defense with eight tackles and one sack.

Entering Saturday's game, Wesleyan boasts one of the nation's best defenses as it ranks second in NCAA Division III in both scoring defense (7.7 points per game) and total defense (197.8 yards per game). They've allowed just 58.5 yards per game on the ground and 139.3 through the air, while sacking the opposing quarterback 20 times and recording nine interceptions.

The stout unit is led by junior linebacker Shayne Kaminski's 47 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Brandon Morris '19 is second on the team with 45 tackles, while Stone leads the team and ranks tied for fifth in the NESAC with four sacks. Defensive back Nate Taylor has a team-high three interceptions for 54 yards, one break-up and one blocked kick.

Offensively, Wesleyan has a well-balanced attack that ranks among the best in the league. The Cardinals are second in total offense (401.3 ypg) and third in scoring (28.7 ppg), while leading the league in rushing touchdowns (16) and time of possession per game (34:27). Leading the way is Piccirillo, who has yet to turn the ball over and is completing 65.4-percent of his passes. He's thrown for 1,106 yards and four touchdowns, and leads the team in rushing with 314 yards and four scores. His favorite target has been wide receiver Mike Breuler, who has 359 yards and 30 receptions for three touchdowns. However, the team's greatest scoring threat is senior Devon Carrillo, who does a little bit of everything. Carrillo has a total of 11 touchdowns (2 passing; 9 rushing) and has amassed 549 yards (51 passing; 126 rushing; 179 receiving; 193 punt return yards).

Williams – whose four NESCAC Championships are second to only Amherst (6) and Trinity (6) – has lost 11 straight games dating back to last season. The Ephs are second to last in the conference in both scoring offense (13.7 ppg) and scoring defense (29.3 ppg), and have been outgained in yardage this year, 2,289-to-1,684.

The offense has featured two freshman quarterbacks; Jansen Durham and Peter Cahill, with Durham seeing the majority of action. He's thrown for 721 yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. In the rushing game, Connor Harris leads the way with 371 yards while Sorrento ranks second with 328, and the receiving corps is headlined by Tyler Patterson and Adam Regensburg. Patterson has a team-high 288 yards and three touchdowns, while Regensburg has 230 and two scores.

Defensively, the unit is allowing 199.2 rushing yards per game and 182.3 passing yards per game. Senior defensive back Alex Brandeis is leading the team in tackles with 49. He also has one sack, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, one interception and two break-ups. As a whole, Williams has only four interceptions this season and just 11 sacks.

After defeating Amherst on Homecoming Weekend, 20-0, Wesleyan has a chance to claim the Little Three title outright for the first time since the 2013 season.